This invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring the incoming transducer signal or synchronizing signal from an optical encoder. Both the optical encoder and transducer convert motion into incremental electrical pulses. Control signals then respond to each pulse thereby regulating a motor or some other electrical mechanism. A major problem encountered is sometimes the encoder or transducer signal is erratic or unstable due to mechanical problems with the mechanisms associated with the control system. This unstable condition may be intermittent, occurring only occasionally or it may occur constantly. One example of a possible cause of this instability is a bad bearing in a drive system. Since the control system is linked to the encoder and/or transducer system, it provides responses in a slightly erratic manner. In the past, the only solution was to monitor this pulse with an oscilloscope and hope to catch the instability at the right point in time. A long felt need in the control system industry is to develop a system to monitor the transducer/optical encoder pulse train in real time and display the degree of stability. The system could then monitor the pulse train one hundred (100%) percent of the time to catch problems before they could become serious.
The present invention solves this problem in a manner not disclosed in the known prior art.